Robot Says…

The story of Burke and Hare, known for their gruesome body-snatching and murders for profit in 19th-century Edinburgh, provides significant historical context for understanding the themes of morality and scientific ambition in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
The Burke and Hare case reflects societal fears about the lengths to which individuals might go in the name of science and progress. In the novel, Dr Jekyll embodies this tension as he pushes ethical boundaries in his experiments: "I risked death; for any drug that so potently controlled and shook the very fortress of identity, might by the least scruple of an overdose or at the least inopportunity in the moment of exhibition, utterly blot out that immaterial tabernacle which I looked to it to change."
Similar to Burke and Hare's exploitation of human bodies for financial and scientific gain, Dr Jekyll’s experiments with his transformative potion demonstrate a disregard for moral and ethical consequences in pursuit of his ambitions. This aligns with the public's 19th-century unease about unchecked scientific advancement and its impact on humanity.
The duality of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde mirrors the conflict between appearance and reality, a theme also present in the case of Burke and Hare, who maintained outward respectability while committing heinous crimes. This is encapsulated in Dr Jekyll's reflection: "Man is not truly one, but truly two."
The novel critiques Victorian society's hypocrisies, much as the Burke and Hare case exposed the dark underbelly of scientific and economic systems. The commodification of bodies in both contexts underscores the dehumanisation inherent in the pursuit of progress.
The public horror surrounding Burke and Hare also mirrors the fear and revulsion that Mr Hyde inspires in others. Stevenson describes Hyde as a figure of primal and uncontainable evil: "There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable."
Awareness of the historical context of body-snatching and its moral implications enriches the reader's understanding of Stevenson's critique of ambition and the dangerous allure of scientific discovery without ethical restraint. This is central to the tragic downfall of Dr Jekyll. </aside>

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